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7 Ways To Bake A Perfect Cake While RV Camping

This post was updated on March 15th, 2024

Close up shot of moist chocolate cake by Marco Verch Professional Photographer is licensed under CC BY 2.0

7 Ways To Bake A Perfect Cake While RV Camping

Whether you’re celebrating a birthday, a holiday, or just the fact that you’re camping, it seems there’s always something to celebrate while RVing. And of course, celebrations call for cake.

Unfortunately, many find that baking a good cake in their RV is nearly impossible. This leads campers to rely on store-bought cakes, and we all know those are not nearly as good as what you might make at home.

Fortunately, there are other ways around this dilemma, and not a single one has to involve purchasing a premade cake. In fact, every one of these solutions will produce a delicious dessert that blows any store-bought version out of the water. Not only that, but each baking option listed here will create a slightly different kind of cake, giving you an excuse to try them all.

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1. Use a pizza stone in your RV oven

The first option is to go ahead and use the propane oven built into your RV. As we mentioned before, many people find this a difficult task, to say the least.

Because RV ovens are so tiny, the heat doesn’t tend to be evenly distributed, leading to baked goods that are burned in the middle and underdone on the outsides. The solution to this problem? A pizza stone! By placing a pizza stone under whatever you’re baking, you can help distribute the heat more evenly.

Another problem with baking in an RV oven is the fact that a full-size cake often won’t fit. If this is a problem you run into, consider making a layer cake and baking one layer at a time, or turning to cupcakes instead.

Cake while camping
Make a perfect dessert no matter where you’re camping. Image source: Pixabay

2. Pressure cooker cake

In our opinion, the Instant Pot is the ultimate RV kitchen gadget. It’s versatile, easy to clean, and can cook quickly without adding heat or excessive amounts of moisture to the air.

Many RVers like to cook dinner in their Instant Pots most nights when they’re out camping. However, very few people think to use this beloved appliance to bake desserts.

A pressure cooker cake is surprisingly easy to make, and the end result is both tasty and pretty to look at. We especially love this Instant Pot confetti cake recipe. One thing you will want to keep in mind when using this recipe is to change out the sealing ring on your appliance for one that is dedicated to desserts. Otherwise, you may end up with a savory treat instead of a sweet one.

3. Stovetop steamed cake

Prefer to use your propane stovetop? Believe it or not, this is not only possible but a popular method for cooking cakes in countries where ovens aren’t common household appliances.

Stovetop cake cooking involves steaming, a process that makes the cake incredibly moist and delicious. By steaming your cake, you will never be left with a dry finished product, nor will it crack on top.

This website provides a wonderful recipe for a steamed chocolate cake. That said, you can steam almost any cake by using the instructions provided on the top of that same page. This means that even if you prefer to keep it simple and use a store-bought mix, this cooking method should still work for you.

4. Slow cooker cake

Another great option for those looking to use electric appliances is a slow cooker. This can be made in your Instant Pot on the “slow cooker” setting, but many people prefer to use a Crock-Pot for slow cooker recipes.

This method might take a bit longer than some others, but considering how easy it is to bake in a slow cooker, we’re okay with that.

One especially easy slow cooker recipe is this Cherry Dump Cake recipe. There are literally only three ingredients in this dessert, and the result is delectable.

Best of all, dump cakes truly couldn’t be any easier to make. Simply dump the ingredients into the pot, turn it on, and let your treat cook while you prepare dinner.

5. Microwave mug cake

Those looking for the quickest option out there—or those who only want enough for one or two people—should turn to the microwave mug cake.

cake
Microwave mug cakes are easy to make. Photo by Mr. Michael Phams (Flickr)
Chocolate Mug Cake by Mr Michael Phams is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

This way of baking won’t leave you with a lovely centerpiece to present to guests, but it is quick and easy, and with a bit of whipped cream and some sprinkles, you certainly can make these individual desserts presentable enough for an everyday dinner.

This recipe for chocolate mug cakes is one of the best out there. The ingredients are simple, it’s easy to make, and most importantly, the end result is heavenly to eat.

6. Dutch oven cake

The Dutch oven is the ultimate campfire cooking accessory. Baking over the fire is a great way to infuse some of the camping spirit into your celebratory cake, and honestly, breaking out the Dutch oven is just plain fun.

As far as the type of cake goes, it’s possible to bake almost any kind you could imagine in a Dutch oven. That said, we are particularly fond of this Peach Upside Down Cake recipe, which is very easy to make and cooks especially well in the cast iron of a Dutch oven.

This classic chocolate cake is another good option if fruity desserts aren’t really your thing.

7. Grilled cupcakes

Lastly, there is the option of cooking your cake on the grill. Really, this method works best with cupcakes and is probably the most difficult method to get right. That said, there is just something fun about cooking cupcakes on the grill, and for those who like to experiment, this will be a neat thing to try.

This page provides instructions on how to bake cupcakes in your grill, as well as a fantastic recipe for doing so. Follow the instructions carefully, and you should have some delicious cupcakes to share with family and friends after dinner.

See also: You Don’t Need An Oven To Make These 10 No-Bake Desserts